louder then words
by EtherealDemon
Summary: Damon realizes that sometimes actions don't speak louder then words so he man's-up and speaks-out 'cause he's tired of this; of her. Inadvertently when he does his actions speak louder then his words.


Disclaimer: If you could see me you'd know there's no way in hell I own or profit from TVD.

**Premise:** Damon realizes that sometimes actions don't speak louder then words so he man's-up and speaks-out 'cause he's tired of this; of her. Inadvertently when he does his actions speak louder then his words.

**AN:** It's not pure Delena, but I like to think of it as a broken barrier and a mended fence before the inevitable conclusion to their sexually loaded banter resulting in some serious hay tumbling.

This conversation keeps playing on a loop in my head ever since I dreamt it (gawd could I be any more lame and fangirl-y?) so I decided to put it on virtual paper and force someone else to read it in hopes that it stops... I was hoping for one of those Japanese horror flick effects, but without all the dying.

So... *fidgets in awkward silence* ...hopefully you enjoy and don't die.

oOo

He's trailing after Andie down the stairs chuckling softly as she babbles on about an interview she did when she just started out that ended disastrously with her covered in plaster dust and being chased by a flock of geese. For the first time in a very long time he feels happy and almost _human_.

"... and I dove head first into the van and barely managed to close the door." Andie grins as she and her story come to a halt in the front hall of the Salvatore Boardinghouse.

He slides his arms around her waist and pulls her close. "And it's all on tape?" He asks teasingly before stealing a kiss. He could get used to this.

Andie smiles softly at him as she nods. Neither of them turns toward the front door as it slides open since the two are far too focused on each other to really care who's coming or going.

"Hi." Elena says awkwardly from the doorway shifting her weight nervously from one Chuck clad foot the other. "Is Stefan here?" She continues when they keep ignoring her.

Damon shrugs halfheartedly and steals another soft kiss from the pretty-reporter-lady-from-TV who eagerly complies. "Most likely brooding in his room _if_ he's here." He says and finally turns towards her and her disapproving brown-eyed glare. He rolls his eyes inwardly as he realizes he had yet to cover the _bite_ on Andie's neck. "Where's your scarf babe?" He asks trailing a finger gingerly over the welted skin.

Andie huffs out a breath and widens her eyes comically. "**That** was close." She smirks lewdly at him and her eyes twinkle conspiratorially. "I must have forgotten it in you room. I'll just run up and get it." She turns and swiftly makes her way back upstairs.

Elena predictably crosses her arms over her chest and glares sternly at him. "What the **hell** are you up to Damon? You're better then this." She huffs angrily as her eyes shoot daggers at him.

The century and a half older _monster_ fixes her with an incredulous look. "How does any of what goes on between my girlfriend and I have anything to do with you?" Frankly he's getting tired of this; of her.

"You're using her as a snack-pack." She hisses venomously through clenched teeth.

To his own surprise Damon is deeply offended. "Don't you **dare** call her that!" He hisses right back. "She has a name _Elena_, use it." He orders sternly shooting her a fierce icy glare. He is so beyond and over _this_.

The olive skinned brunette being caught completely off guard reels back and her hands fall deftly at her sides. "You _care_ about her?" She asks disbelievingly and wide-eyed.

He scoffs in irritation. "You act as if I'm incapable of it." He crosses his arms over his broad chest and looks down his nose at her. "Need I remind you that you frequently use the fact that I _care_ against me?" He cocks a dark eyebrow in challenge at her.

For a split second she looks ashamed, but it instantly turns into a seething rage. "You've been _feeding_ on her. I saw the **bite-mark** on her neck." She hisses accusingly waving an indignant finger in the air.

Just as he's about to speak a voice sounds from behind him. "It's consensual, but thanks for caring. It's very _sweet_ of you." He turns to see Andie wrapping her scarf in an unnecessarily intricate way around her bruised neck. "You better do that thing again. There seems to be a loophole." She says sweetly ignoring Elena's slack-jawed expression.

Damon frowns. He doesn't actually _like_ compelling Andie since they've come to their... _agreement_. "Are you sure? I'd rather not rummage around in there too much." He asks and smooths a hand down her chocolate mane.

She sighs with a small smile. "I've _told_ you. I don't want to risk saying anything and this way I can't." She tilts her head to the side and gazes at him lovingly. It's been far to long since someone's looked at him that way and he **likes** it.

"Are you asking him to compel you?" The angry teenager in the doorway chokes out managing to make it into some sort of accusation.

Andy turns to look at her in a way that clearly says that Elena's too young to understand. "I'm not about to risk his life because _I_ slip up." She turns back to Damon. "I'm late. Could you..." She trails off as he catches her gaze and it goes vacant.

"You will not speak about anything relating to me being a vampire to anyone but me. Do you understand?" He says monotonously.

"Only you." She replies deftly while nodding.

"Now kiss me." He orders with a smirk and she blinks a few times before she chuckles and plants a firm kiss on his lips.

Andie slaps him playfully on the chest and leans in for yet another kiss. "I love you Damon Salvatore." She coos smiling goofily and since he made her unafraid **it** _is true._.

"Love you too." He smacks her pert ass playfully as she turns to leave and saunters past a shell shocked Elena.

"Nice to finally meet you Elena." Andie shoots at the still gawking teenager in the doorway.

Damon waves smiling a smile that reaches all the way to his twinkling crystalline eyes. He turns and frowns at Elena the second Andie's car pulls out off the driveway. "Would it _kill_ you to be polite to my girlfriend?" He scowls and heads for the kitchen muttering under his breath. He's had more then enough of all this _**JUDGING**_.

"_You love her__._" Elena states incredulously as she trails hurriedly after him into the kitchen.

He glares at her over his shoulder. "What's _wrong_ with you? Andie's wonderful. What the hell do _you_ have against _her_?" He knows that's** not** what she meant, but he refuses to acknowledge that she thinks that little of him.

She scoffs and plops down at the kitchen counter. "Not. What. I. Meant." She says haughtily with an accompanied eye-roll.

Blood-bag in hand he turns and narrows his eyes at her. "Then **WHAT** do you mean, _Elena_?" He's so tired of everyone thinking so very _very _little of him.

Suddenly she looks flustered and she huffs. "You know what I mean."

He smirks sinisterly. "Which is it this time? **Me** being incapable of love or incapable of loving anyone other then_ you_?" He knows it's one or the other, but he isn't sure which one she'll admit to thinking.

She blushes furiously and averts her eyes. "That's not what I said." She mutters under her breath knowing he can still hear her.

He pours the contents of the bag into a mug and places it into the microwave. "You're not saying much of anything Elena,**BUT** you're implying a hell of a lot." He grabs another mug and pours coffee into it before sliding it over to her. "Listen. I have no reason to explain this to you, but I'm going to since it's getting **pretty-damn-tiring**." The microwave dings and he gets his cup of blood and settles across from her. "Listen carefully. **There. Is. No. Switch.**" He says and waits for his words to sink in.

Elena frowns in confusion. "What do you mean _no switch_?"

He smirks at her knowingly. "Do you really think _brother dearest_ would be munching on forest critters if there was?" He shakes his head slowly. "We _feel_ as much as you; more actually. Everything's heightened. Do you really think I would have pined after Katherine for **over a century** if I didn't _feel_?"

She shakes her head, mirroring him and staring at him doe eyed. "So you do _care_ then?" She half whispers.

"I'm a firm believer in actions speaking louder then words. Think about it." It's somehow liberating to _tell someone_ these secrets and he isn't even sure that it matters that it's _her_ he's telling.

She sits a few moments in complete silence before she suddenly creases her forehead in a disbelieving frown. "Then why would you; could you **kill**?" She says peering at him intensely.

He sighs knowing full well she'd ask _that_. "Have you ever been so angry, sad or really anything that you just wanted to break something or hurt someone?"

She nods reluctantly and waits for him to elaborate.

"Well multiply that feeling by a hundred and throw in several decades worth of remorse and guilt..." He trails off because he can see the understanding light in her eyes. "No one lives _this_ long without there being death and destruction along the way." He smirks sadly at her. "Everyone is _capable_ of murder given the right, or should I say wrong, circumstances."

Elena's scowl deepens. "I don't believe that." She states stubbornly.

Damon can't help but chuckle at her adorable expression. "So you're saying that if your brother **HAD** died permanently when I snapped his neck you wouldn't have killed me?" He scoffs and bores his blue eyes into hers. "You'd be a **liar** and a **hypocrite** if you'd claim that... and I'd think _much_ less of you." He shrugs nonchalantly. "Not that what _I_ think matters."

She scrunches her nose while she thinks. "**Fine**. I guess everyone has something that would push them over the edge." She gives a slight nod to punctuate.

"The more often you fall over that edge the harder it becomes to hold on to it." He sips absentmindedly on his cup of blood as they both sit quietly and contemplate their discussion. He thinks that _maybe_ she understands.

She's the one to break their comfortable silence. "So when you said you _didn't care_, you actually _did_?" There's more then a hint of hope shining in her beautiful eyes.

He smiles at her wryly. "Yes. I have the bad fortune of people **using** _my feelings_ against me and manipulating me because of the fact that _**I do care**_." He sighs heavily and shoots her a meaningful look. "If people think I don't care then they expect nothing and don't _try_ to manipulate me." He's had enough of that to last several lifetimes and **that's** just from the girl sitting right in front of him.

She has the decency to look ashamed. She averts her eyes as her cheeks turn a bright pink. "You love her." She says smiling shyly gazing apologetically at him.

He takes the final sip of his blood and stands. "Yeah." He smirks halfheartedly at her. "Then again I _love_ a lot of people... including you." As he says it a weight is lifted from his heart and shoulders. Now she knows and it's no longer a big deal. He loves her, but it doesn't matter because of so many things, **but** _she knows._

She smiles sweetly at him as he takes her empty coffee cup and puts it in the dishwasher along with his. "I love you too." She says and gives him a bear-hug from behind once he straightens up.

**There-it-is**. He turns and smiles at her as he pulls her into a proper hug. "Next time be nice to Andie, _please_?" He says and kisses the top of her head lovingly. Her hair smells like rainwater, vanilla and _Elena_ and he can't help but breath in a lungful of the delicious aroma.

She chuckles into his shirt. "Fine. I'll play nice." She pulls her head back to look him in the eye. "I'll even _apologize_ for jumping to conclusions." They disentangle as they hear the front door slam closed.

"In here." Damon shouts as the distinct scent of his brother reaches his nose. "Are you staying for dinner?" He then asks Elena as he pulls out two large pots and a skillet.

"Yeah. What are we making?" She asks eagerly.

"**We**?" He glances at her amusedly knowing she can't boil water without burning it.

She rolls her eyes indignantly. "I can chop... _sort of_ and my stirring skills have improved greatly since the last time we cooked together." She pouts and he can't help but chuckles. She's being ridiculous.

"Don't trust her. She's lying." Stefan teases from the kitchen entrance.

Elena rolls her eyes and huffs dramatically. "I never get to do anything." She mutters under her breath momentarily forgetting about the other twos preternatural hearing.

The undead brothers chuckle and the younger walks over and kisses the top of the brunettes head. "Eh... why do you _smell_ like Damon?" He asks awkwardly after catching a waft of Damon's scent on his not-quite-girlfriend.

Elena blushes and huffs. "I wasn't very _polite_ to Andie... so Damon and I talked. I apologized and we hugged it out." She says uncomfortably trying to shrug it off.

Damon spins around. "You did **not** apologize." He says accusingly waving a finger in the air and grinning smugly. He's caught her in a lie... again.

She stiffens and the colour drains from her face. "**Damon loves Andie**." She almost shouts in an effort to deflect attention from herself.

It's effective. Stefan stares wide-eyed at his older supposedly emotionally stunted brother. "You love _Andie_?" He says in a voice a few octaves higher then normal.

Damon glares at Elena who's smiling victoriously. "Was your intent becoming dinner?" He says menacingly.

Once again the pools of chocolate roll as she folds her hands on the counter-top. "I thought that was Andie's job." She retorts teasingly.

Stefan's shoulders slump and he rubs his eyes tiredly. "You're feeding on her." He states defeatedly as if everything makes perfect sense once again.

It's Damon's turn to roll his eyes and huff. "I _barely_ have a taste. Don't be a **hypocrite**. _You've_ been sipping on _Elena_. Why shouldn't **I** do the same with _my girlfriend_?" He says incredulously glaring icily. His little brothers self-righteousness is suffocating.

"He's **not** hurting her." Elena chimes in unexpectedly. "He _loves_ her." She smiles proudly when she says it and it makes Damon's heart ache. It's his own damned fault she's thought so lowly of him.

Stefan shoots Elena a _you-don't-know-that_ look.

She scoffs indignantly. "I talked to _her_. She's fine with it." She shoots Stefan an angry glare. "Besides _Damon_ has impeccable control and he loves her. He's not hurting her at all." She says with finality.

Damon can't help but feel a bit of pride swell in his chest at the confidence she seems to have in him... however malplaced it may be. "I don't **drink** from her. It's just for sex." He says with a smirk and a slight shrug of the shoulders.

Elena looks at him weirdly and his brother would be blushing if he still could. His brother's an idiot; a complete and utter fool. "What do you mean?" Elena says seemingly unaware that she indeed is talking.

"You're an idiot." Damon states flatly looking pointedly at his stupid little brother before he turns back to his pots and pans.

"What?" Elena repeats innocently and bewildered.

Damon rolls his eyes as the seconds tick by and his dimwit brother stays silent. "It heightens _your_ climax." He turns back around and locks eyes with the pretty little doppelgänger hanging on his every word. "If a vampire bites during their human partners climax it intensifies...**greatly**." He smirks then despite himself. "Of course immaculate control **is** needed since the urge to drain is immense." Stupid _stupid_ **stupid** baby brother.

She blinks a few wide-eyed blinks in fascination. "How?" She breathes with her gaze transfixed on the raven haired sexionary making pasta-sauce.

He smirks lewdly and glances briefly at his silent brother and wonders if it's not only his appearance that's stuck in the awkward teenage faze, but also his hormones and intelligence. "Pain and pleasure have always gone hand in hand." He replies vaguely. Frankly he didn't exactly study _vampire anatomy_ in college... or ever. Well that's not quite true; he did read both Henry Gray's and Vesalius books on the subject. **Surprise**. Not just drivel.

Elena frowns and gives him a that-explains-nothing look he's far too familiar with.

"Weren't _you_ going to stir?" He points at her with the tip of the very sharp knife he's using to slice tomatoes at inhuman speed. He knows it's childish, but he likes showing off to _her_.

Her whole face lights up in a toothpaste commercial smile. A pair of **very sharp fangs** would look **divine** on _her_. She quickly makes her way around the kitchen counter and grabs the very large wooden spoon Damon's holding out for her to use. "See." She says with a pointed yet happy look at a still very mute Stefan.

Yeah. He doesn't care what _that_ is about. "Not too fast or too much stirring... or it'll be too runny." He says softly. It's not true, **but** she'll be SO HAPPY when it turns out _just right_. Now he's the idiot.

"I'll set the table." Stefan mutters unfreezing from his psychological muteness. "Just _three_?" He questions with unsure green eyes.

"Make that five. Ric and Jer were gonna join me." The elder Salvatore says as if it's a regular occurrence...

"I almost forgot." The not-anyone's-girlfriend exclaims. "Jer asked me to tell you that he'll be a little late, but to start without him." ...and maybe it is.

Damon groans in annoyance. "I _swear_ when I snapped his neck his internal clock **broke**." He mock pouts and to Stefan's great chock and horror _she_ simply swats his arm playfully and chuckles.

"It's your own fault **and** _I _think it's only right that you're the one who feels the impact of your own stupidity." She sticks out her pretty little pink tongue at him as he mock scowls.

Unsettled the youngest of the two, but not the three slips out and into the dining room unnoticed to set the table and ponder why his _psychopath_ of an older brother _with no redeeming qualities_ has a steady girlfriend who **loves him** (and likes it when he bites her) AND has more close friends that **rely on him **then he does; _the good brother_.

oOo

**AN:** Please don't kill me with your words... or silence. Feel free to review, comment or critique.


End file.
